Now that you’ve decided to hire an in-home caregiver for yourself or an adult or senior in your life, you need to think about what you need. What character traits in a caregiver are the most important to you? What tasks will the person be asked to do?
Once you establish whats most important, you can begin the crucial task of writing a senior care job description to help you find great candidates. Check out this sample adult and senior care contract for inspiration.
Read on for tips on what your job description for an adult or senior caregiver should include.
- Start With a Job Title
A detailed job title will help ensure only candidates who are truly interested in the job will apply. For example, a title that states “Senior care provider wanted” will bring in lots of resumes, but many may not be a good fit for what you actually need. Your title should speak to the details of your specific job. It may be better to write “Full-time caregiver for adult with Alzheimer’s” or “Live-in caregiver for wheelchair-bound elder.”
- Provide a Short Summary
Paraphrase what the job will entail so that candidates have a better understanding of whether the job is a good fit. State job requirements, such as medication prompting or transporting the senior in their own vehicle. Include the number of days or evenings required and briefly describe educational and experiential requirements. Also include personality traits and interests of your loved one to help you find a good match.
- List Job Responsibilities
Create a list of all of the responsibilities, including such things as personal-care needs, cooking and housekeeping. List whether the caregiver will be expected to provide incontinence care, handle the senior’s finances, do yard work or care for the senior’s pets. Be as specific as possible to avoid surprises down the road.
- State Required Qualifications
Make sure the list includes educational and experiential qualifications, as well as personal characteristics and values the candidate should have. Also list whether you will substitute experience for education or vice versa.
- Know Your Terms
Will this be a full or part-time job? Will the candidate be required to stay overnight or live-in? All of these things should be included in the senior care job description. Also include things like the pay scale, how long the job will last, whether the pay is negotiable and how you’ll handle taxes.
- Ask for References
While this may seem premature, you’ll want to check references at some point in the process, so it’s best to state this upfront. It will save you time down the road.
Want to learn more about hiring in-home care? Check out 5 Common Questions About Hiring In-Home Care.
